PROS AND CONS OF STEAMING FOODS

Steaming foods is one of the fastest growing trends in meal preparation. Part of the reason for that is because it keeps food in its healthiest state and it’s also pretty simple to do. With that being said, there are some things that are not so desirable when doing it too. That is why we have taken the time to give you some information on the pros and cons of food steaming. The information here can help you decide for yourself if it’s worth it to you to prepare your meals that way.

Food Steaming PROS

Here are some of the main things that appeal to people who like to steam their foods:

• It’s Healthy

This is one of the most popular reasons that people choose to prepare their meals with food steamers. It is a proven fact that with cooking methods such as boiling, frying, and baking you tend to lose a large amount of the nutrients in the food that is cooked. That is not the case with streaming. It is known to retain more nutrients than other types of food preparation.

Another healthy benefit of steaming foods is that you do not need to use any unhealthy oils or other substances in the cooking process.

• Simple

Steaming foods tends to be a very simple form of cooking that does not require constant attention or much fuss. Once the food being steamed is prepped and then put in the steamer, it generally is not touched again until it is done cooking.

• Keeps food moist

There is a reason that cooking with steam retains nutrients so well and that is because it does not super heat the fluids inside of meats and vegetables forcing them out after they reach a high temperature. Steam cooking tends to seal in the juices. Since more fluid is retained in foods cooked with steam, then these foods normally stay very moist as a result too.

• Equipment is simple an affordable

Compared to other types of food cooking apparatus food steamers tend to be much cheaper. Even the best ones will rarely cost you over $200 to buy. That is a great deal when you consider all of the benefits you get from steaming food.

Food Steaming CONS

Now for some of the traits of food steaming that may not be desirable to you:

• Visual Appeal/Lack of browning

One of the things people who steam foods most typically complain about is that the food does not look very appealing after it’s cooked. For example, meats that are steamed do not take on the delicious look of meat that has been slightly browned or nicely seared on one side. Steaming also will let meats and vegetables give off a little unpleasant looking residue as it’s cooked.

• Slower cooking times/Can’t cook some meats

Steaming foods takes longer than cooking with other methods because it does not use super high heat. It also does not produce a high enough heat to safely cook such meats as beef and pork; you are pretty much limited to fish and poultry.

• Steam heat can quickly burn you

Steam heat is essentially water that is past its boiling point. You are talking over 200 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. It also has a tendency to escape from a container very easily when opened. That means you have to be careful after you are done steaming your foods, or you can burn yourself when the steam first escapes from whatever type of container you used to steam your meal.

EXCELLENT FOOD STEAMER MODELS

If you do not already own a food steamer, then we have some great model suggestions for you that are well designed and very easy to use:

1. BUDGET FRIENDLY – BELLA HEALTHY STEAMER BASKET

This is a nice little food steamer that is very easy on your wallet too. It can make an entire steamed meal that you and your family will love. It is a model that is simple to use and is also very easy to clean when you are finished cooking.

The best thing about this model is its dual heavy plastic cooking trays. It allows you to separate such things as your meats and vegetables. That way when your vegetables are done cooking before your meat they can be easily removes so they are not overcooked.

The plastic containers are BPA free and it includes such excellent features as a boil dry safety shutoff and a window that lets you see how much water is left in the unit as it cooks.

2. GREAT VALUE – HAMILTON BEACH DIGITAL STEAMER

Here is a great moderately priced food steamer that will help you simply prepare generous portions of healthy steamed foods. It features all digital cook settings and two large sized plastic cooking containers.

There is simply a lot to like about this Hamilton Beach product. Everything from its digital touchpad to its unique styling is well-designed. The trays it comes with even nest to make storage easier.

What is the nicest feature this model food steamer has? We think it’s the generous 5.5 quart cooking space that it offers you. That makes it plenty big enough to steam meals large enough for the entire family.

TRY FOOD STEAMING TODAY

Well, you now know the pros and cons of food steaming. It was easy to come up with the pros and very difficult to come up with the cons. That is a sign of a product that anyone can make good use of. So if you don’t already own a food steamer then you should give one a try.